Circuit member connecting structures used for the mutual connection of circuit members such as liquid crystal displays and TCPs (tape carrier packages), FPCs (flexible printed circuits) and TCPs, FPCs and printed wiring boards or the like have been known in the past. Circuit connecting materials in which conductive particles are dispersed in a bonding agent (e.g., anisotropic conductive bonding agents) are used for the connection of such circuit members to each other (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-120436, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-191228, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-251787, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-90237 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-189171).
Meanwhile, circuits have shown progressively higher densities as electronic devices have become smaller and thinner in recent years, so that the spacing between circuit electrodes and the width of circuit electrodes in circuit members have become extremely narrow; consequently, it has become difficult to ensure high insulating properties between circuit electrodes. Accordingly, in order to ensure high insulating properties between the circuit electrodes in circuit members, it is considered necessary to form an insulating layer comprising an organic insulating substance, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or the like between the circuit electrodes.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view which shows a conventional example of a connecting structure for circuit members. As is shown in FIG. 7, the circuit member connecting structure 100 comprises a first circuit member 131 and a second circuit member 141; this first circuit member 131 and second circuit member 141 are connected by a circuit connecting member 150. The first circuit member 131 is constructed from a circuit board 132, and circuit electrodes 133 and insulating layers 134 that are formed adjacent to each other on one surface 132a of this circuit board 132. Portions of the insulating layers 134 have a shape that rides over the edges of the circuit electrodes 133. Specifically, portions of the insulating layers 134 are formed with a greater thickness than the circuit electrodes 133 on the basis of the surface 132a of the circuit board 132. Furthermore, the second circuit member 141 has a construction similar to that of the first circuit member 131; this second circuit member 141 is constructed from a circuit board 142, and circuit electrodes 143 and insulating layers 144 that are formed adjacent to each other on one surface 142a of this circuit board 142, and portions of the insulating layers 144 have a shape that rides over the edges of the circuit electrodes 143. Meanwhile, the circuit connecting member 150 is a member in which, for example, conductive particles 152 produced by forming a nickel plating layer on the surfaces of benzoguanamine resin particles are disposed in an insulating substance 151. Here, for example, the mean particle size of the conductive particles is 5 μm, and the hardness (K value) is 7490 N/mm2.